Submersible turbine pumps (STPs) are used at fuel dispensing sites to pump fuel from an underground storage tank (UST) to a plurality of fuel dispensers. The STP contains a turbine pump that draws fuel out of the UST. The STP includes a manifold that receives fuel from the UST through a riser pipe and that transfers the fuel to the fuel dispensers via a fuel piping network. When servicing of the STP is required, the STP is decoupled from the piping network and a top, or “packer,” is removed from the manifold of the STP. After the STP has been serviced, the packer is placed back on the manifold and the STP is re-coupled to the fuel dispensers. Accordingly, air from the atmosphere is trapped inside the manifold and in the piping network leading to the fuel dispensers. One particular location where air is trapped is in a fuel discharge chamber of the manifold.
If the air is not removed from the manifold, the air will ultimately be trapped in the fuel piping network and dispensed during the sale of fuel. Further, the air trapped in the manifold negatively influences both mechanical and electrical leak detection systems, and therefore must be removed for these systems to operate properly. However, to remove the air trapped in the manifold and piping, a technician must activate the nozzles of each fuel dispenser downstream of the STP.
Thus, there remains a need for a manifold for a STP allowing air to be removed from the discharge chamber after servicing without the need for a technician to activate each fuel dispenser coupled to the STP.